1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates broadly to ladders to be attached to the transoms or other vertical parts of boats in assist persons using the boats to board the boat from a position immersed in the water beside the boat or to safely debark from the boat even when loaded with scuba equipment or other gear. More particularly, it concerns boat ladders that may be attached to inflatable boats or other runabout type watercraft that permit easy and safe access into or out of the water surrounding the boat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of ladder devices have been developed and marketed for attachment to boats to assist in boarding or debarking the boats. These prior devices can be divided broadly into three classes, i.e., (1) those that are permanently attached to vertical postions of boats, (2) those which are attached to platforms that extend from boats and (3) those that hang from or are otherwise removably and vertically supported on boats. The present invention relates the devices of the third type.
Many prior art devices of the third type are separate ladders that hang on the side or stern of a boat in a manner that the steps are not sturdily fixed when the device is installed on the boat in a climbing position with the result that the user is bothered by having to lift his body on an unsteady step. This is particularly bothersome when the user is carrying heavy gear, e.g., scuba gear, since the added weight serves to aggravate the unstable condition. I previously disclosed and claimed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,485 improved ladder devices which eliminated such deficiency of some prior known devices. However, the ladders of that patent were not designed for use with inflatable boats or other runabout type boats not equipped with transom platforms and this present invention addresses this problem